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Biomedical subjects

R M Reitan

Publications and source records attributed to R M Reitan.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Conventional intelligence measurements and neuropsychological concepts of adaptive abilities.

The concept of intelligence and its representation by the Intelligence Quotient have been difficult to define and the subject of criticism for various reasons. Matarazzo and Kaufman have reviewed intelligence measurements and brain functions, but a biologically based explication of intelligence has not been explicitly proposed since the theories presented more than 40 years ago by Halstead and Hebb. The present study explored the overlap and differential sensitivity of intelligence measures (VIQ, PIQ, and FSIQ) and neuropsychological measures (Impairment Index and Category Test) to cerebral damage and educational attainment. The results indicated that neuropsychological measures may serve to broaden the concept of intelligence and that a brain-related criterion may contribute to a fuller understanding of its nature.

Achievement↗
PubMed1992

Left cerebral dominance for bilateral simultaneous sensory stimulation?

Hom and Reitan (1982) reported findings with respect to sensorimotor deficits in groups with lateralized cerebral lesions, but evaluated the results only within a framework that related cerebral dominance to deficits that resulted from lateralized lesions. Some of the variables they studied, however, depend upon evidence of retention of functions by one hemisphere under conditions of distracting input. While the right cerebral hemisphere appears to be dominant for tactile-perceptual abilities in terms of resulting deficits, the present study suggests that the left cerebral hemisphere is dominant for certain non-language functions that reflect maintenance of sensory-perceptual abilities under conditions of distracting stimuli.

Agnosia↗
PubMed1990

Generalized cognitive function after stroke.

The present investigation was designed to determine the effect of cerebrovascular lesions upon general neuropsychological function. The performances of 60 patients with lateralized or diffuse cerebrovascular lesions were compared to 20 controls on cognitive and intellectual measures. Multivariate analyses indicated markedly poorer performances by the cerebrovascular groups on measures of generalized cerebral function, and no differences on such measures were found between the left- and right-damaged groups. The lateralized CVD groups demonstrated a differential tendency towards lower performances on VIQ for the left group and on PIQ for the right group. The results indicate significant neuropsychological impairment which extends beyond the expected lateralized dysfunctions, or selected deficits, associated with the damaged hemisphere. These findings indicate the importance of evaluating generalized as well as specific cognitive functions in clinical assessment of cerebrovascular lesions.

Attention↗
PubMed1988

The validity of the MMPI with multiple sclerosis patients.

Prior research findings have suggested that physical illness is a factor that can affect patients' scores on the MMPI. In this study, responses of patients (N = 83) with diagnosed multiple sclerosis, (MS) were compared with those of the original MMPI control group. MMPI items were categorized as either representing the physical effects of MS or not being related to the physical effects of MS. Item and scale analysis indicated that for MS patients, endorsement of items that reflected the neurological disease process led to artificial elevation of four clinical scales. The authors concluded that physical illness should be considered as an independent factor that can influence the validity of MMPI interpretations.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1979

Neuropsychological test performance of normal, learning-disabled, and brain-damaged older children.

The performance of 75 brain-damaged, learning-disabled, and normal children aged 9 to 14 years was compared on 13 neuropsychological test measures. Analysis of variance, supplemented by t-tests, indicated a significant difference beyond the .01 level on 11 measures and beyond the .05 level on one measure. A discriminant analysis based on weightings of the 13 measures yielded 80 per cent correct classification of subjects, a finding in agreement with the outcome of the multivariate analysis of variance. The results indicated that these psychological measures were individually sensitive to differences among the three categories of subjects and, as a group, were capable of classifying children at a level far exceeding chance. It would appear that neuropsychological variables (brain-sensitive tests) may account for much of the uniqueness in many children with learning disabilities.

Achievement↗
PubMed1978

Neuropsychological performance in posttraumatic epilepsy.

Performances on the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale and on Halstead's neuropsychological measures were investigated in two groups of adult subjects with posttraumatic seizures. One of the groups, in addition to seizures, had abnormal and persistent focal cortical signs. The other group had seizures only and no other known deficits or complications. The results suggest that posttraumatic epilepsy, whether or not accompanied by abnormal and persistent focal cortical signs, is associated with significant psychological impairment. Patients with posttraumatic epilepsy alone perform somewhat better than those whose epilepsy is accompanied by independent evidence of cortical damage. However, the performance difference between such patients is not major, nor is it statistically significant on most measures such as those used in the present study. Possible reasons for the performance deficit in this group were discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Emotional sequelae of head injury.

The emotional after-effects of head injury in relation to acuteness versus chronicity of the injury and neuropsychological deficits were studied. The results indicate that there is a decline in emotional distress over time after the injury and show that patients with significant initial and residual neuropsychological deficits experience greater emotional distress than those with negligible difficulties.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1977

MMPI correlates of adaptive ability deficits in patients with brain lesions.

In the present study the relationship between MMPI variables and adequacy of function in verbal and performance intelligence, concept formation, sensory-perceptual and motor skills was examined in 129 subjects with definite evidence of cerebral lesions. Patients with greater impairment of abilities showed higher elevations on the MMPI variables, suggesting more emotional difficulties. Based on the present results and those of two previous studies by the same authors it was concluded that: a) MMPI variables are more closely related to measures of adequacy of function in adaptive abilities than they are to measures of lesion localization based upon pathoanatomical characteristics of the brain; and b) except for verbal skills the relationship between the MMPI variables and various adaptive skills is relatively minor. Interpretive limitations of the MMPI with brain-damaged patients and the need for devising other tests sensitive to the nuances of emotional difficulties of patients with brain lesions were discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1976

A neuropsychological study of polydrug users.

The long-term neuropsychological effects of persistent nonmedical drug use are still unknown. In this study, 22 young men, all extensive "polydrug" users, were examined while free from drugs for an average of 60 days by means of the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery. Their performance was compared to that of age-education-sex-matched neurologically intact medical patients and a similarly matched group of neurologically impaired patients. Blind independent ratings of test protocols by two experienced clinicians judged 41% to 64% of the drug users, 11% to 26% of the medical patients, and 84% to 89% of the neurologic patients to be impaired. Interpretation of these results suggests that in some individuals, heavy "polydrug" use may be associated with neuropsychological dysfunction, which persists at least an average of two months beyond cessation of drug use.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Tactile-perceptual functioning in relation to intellectual, cognitive and reading skills in younger and older normal children.

Forty-eight 12- to 14-years-olds and 40 six- to eight-year-old normal boys and girls were distributed into two groups on the basis of the number of errors they made on several tests of tactile-perceptual ability. The groups were then compared on measures of intellectual, cognitive and reading ability. In the older group, children with poor tactile-perceptual skills performed significantly less well on the other measures than children with few tactile-perceptual errors. This relationship was not so clearly demonstrated in the younger groups. The results are discussed in terms of individual differences in brain function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Handedness in relation to measures of motor and tactile-perceptual functions in normal children.

10 boys and 10 girls were tested at each of six age levels (6, 7, 8, 12, 13, and 14 yr). All of the children were right-handed, and at each age level the groups did not differ in age, WISC Full Scale IQ, or educational attainment. The groups were compared on motor tasks (strength and speed) and tactile-perceptual tasks (finger localization and symbol recognition). The performances of the right and left hands were compared. The results indicated clear right-hand motor superiority, but no "sidedness" effect for the tactile-perceptual measures. The implication of these results for brain-behaviour relationships was discussed.

Adolescent↗